


A Stone's Throw Away

by Aridette



Category: Dishonored (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, pre-Dishonored 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 22:51:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14861822
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aridette/pseuds/Aridette
Summary: Switched-up pov of the very beginning of Dishonored 2.Corvo had learned to trust his gut instincts, and they told him something was about to go sour.





	A Stone's Throw Away

**Author's Note:**

  * For [shadowstalker](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shadowstalker/gifts).



> This was written as a birthday present months ago. But somehow I never posted it on AO3??? Oops. Hope my readers over here enjoy it as well.

_“Mother, look! What are they doing on the rooftops?”_

Corvo startled awake. The morning air was crisp and sharp like the reverberating yells of his name in his memories. They would turn into dull whispers at the back of his mind soon enough. They always did. But until then they’d keep him company as he went through his morning routine.

Looking up from the sink his eyes caught the Outsider’s mark on the back of his hand, clear and bright as the day it had been bestowed upon him.  
Years had passed, years in which he’d hidden it from everyone’s eyes. But it had never faded. Just as persistently, the memories tied to it remained with him.

The only thing that had changed over time were his visits to the Void. Where his dreams often used to take him to the strange paths the Outsider had set him on, they took him back into the past now. They left him to wake cradled in terror and the sickening almost-comfort of the known.

 _“Corvo… Find Emily. Protect her.”_  
Words that had changed his life forever rang through his head.  
_“You’ll know what to do. Won’t you, Corvo?”_  
Some days he honestly did not. After all this time he was no closer to figuring out what the world had in store for Emily and him. Especially now that Emily was an adult and off to find her own path more often than not. He was getting too old to keep up with everything she got up to out in the city at night. It didn’t escape his watchful gaze. Not yet. But it was only a matter of time.

 _“Hello Corvo, your life has taken a turn, has it not?”_  another eerily familiar voice echoed from afar.  
No. He hadn’t heard that voice in years. If  _he_  was back, even his memory, that was not a good omen.   
  
Corvo had learned to trust his gut instincts, and they told him  _something_  was about to go sour.

He couldn’t shake the feeling as he bandaged his hand to cover the mark. Neither as he had a quick breakfast brought to his chambers. Nor when he made his way to the throne room to await Emily’s arrival.

Why today? Why the day they commemorated Jessamine’s untimely death? Her murder.  
Had he not done enough after all?

Corvo’s mind raced, going through everything he knew about the ceremony, their guest and guards and any possible detail he might have overlooked in preparation for the day. Alexi and a handful of members of the Watch were outside, intercepting any of their visitors, announced or otherwise. The room was filled with loyal subjects he had known for many years. By all accounts, he should not be plagued by this foreboding sense of trepidation.

The doors swung open behind his back.  
_“Protect her,”_  Jessamine’s voice was nagging again,  _“You’re the only one.”  
_ Emily stood proudly, voice unwavering as she addressed the room, every bit the Empress she’d always been meant to be.

For her, he could do it, he could make it through this day. For her, he could stand a little taller, keep the memories at bay and force a smile on his face as reassurance.

“Emily,” he greeted her. She looked magnificent and regal as ever. Maybe he was a little biased. At the very least he was sure it didn’t show that she had been up most of the night.

“You look tired, father,” she interrupted him. Despite his best efforts, his worries must have been written all over his face.

“Every year I think the anniversary of Jessamine’s death will be easier, but it never is.” It was not what was really bothering him at that moment, but it was far from a lie. In any case, it was better than giving Emily reason to worry before he had actual proof that something wasn’t right.

“I wish mother was still the Empress,” Emily said, gladly foregoing pressing for more in a public space, “I don’t think I’m very good at this.”

“You’re still learning.” Of that Corvo was sure. He had seen Jessamine struggle to grow into the same role under much more guidance than he could offer Emily. “Don’t worry about the rabble-rousers. And we’ll catch the ‘Crown Killer’, eventually.” If it was the last thing he did, he would.

The killings did not sit right with him. The way these things were happening reminded him too much of events in the past. Perhaps this had stirred the memories into resurfacing in the first place.

“People are saying it’s you. That the assassinations are a misguided effort to protect me.” How anyone could truly believe that was beyond him. Then again, many had believed him to be Jessamine’s killer, too. The allegations no longer held the power to surprise him.

“No, someone’s trying to make us look guilty by targeting your enemies.” It had happened before and it would happen again with every obstacle that manifested in their way.

“I wish I could just run from all this,” Emily admitted as they reached Jessamine’s portrait.

“Sometimes you do.” Corvo barely suppressed a quiet laugh. “You think I don’t know about your nights out on the rooftops?”  
He understood the urge after everything that happened in her childhood. It had taken him a long time before he’d stopped looking up to the roofs, watching shadows, or listening intently for any sounds. And he could not imagine she much liked feeling trapped in any one place either.  
“Courage, the ceremony will be over soon.”

“Royal Protector and Father. I should’ve passed a law against that combination of titles years ago,” Emily replied in kind as they both laid down flowers to pay their respects to Jessamine. Their easy banter was a testament to the trusting relationship they had cultivated over the years.

“Your Majesty, before we begin the day’s observances we have an unexpected visitor,” Ramsey announced almost as soon as they had reached the throne, “The Duke of Serkonos.”

“Ramsey says the Duke is bringing special gifts,” Corvo added, himself unaware of what exactly that entailed.

“That’s intriguing.”

Corvo hoped it was only that.

“His Grace Luca Abele, Duke of Serkonos, “ Ramsey heralded.

 ****As soon as two mechanical soldiers he had most definitely not permitted on the palace grounds paraded through the open gates though, Corvo knew with unshakable certainty that his gut instincts had been right again.

Trouble was merely a stone’s throw away.


End file.
